Tree-Planting and Desertification, a Simple Solution to a Complex Issue

There’s a history in Africa of using trees as the last line of defense against desertification.

In 1970, Algeria launched the “Green Dam” initiative, an agroecological project aimed at the reforestation of three million hectares of the Algerian steppe to counter desertification.

Seven years later, late Wangari Muta Maathai created her Green Belt Movement NGO that, in a little over 30 years, has planted over 51 milliontrees.

Maathai’s work has even inspired a kid to find the “Plant for the Planet,” a colossal global initiative that aims to plant 1 trillion trees to fight climate change.

Another ambitious tree-planting project in Africa is the Great Green Wall (GGW) in the Sahel region.

Initiated by the African Union in 2008, the Great Green Wall is a multi-species vegetal belt that’s 4,000 miles long and 10 miles wide. The GGW crosses the width of Africa from Senegal in the west, through a dozen countries, until Djibouti in the east.

On paper, the Great Green Wall is a practical move for the Sahel countries to address the significant environmental, economic, and societal challenges of land degradation.

The initiative that first started with 11 countries has seen nine more join the effort. Just across three participating countries – Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Senegal – about 80 million acres of degraded land have been restored.

After a little over a decade since its launch, the GGW is now about 15 percent complete. But, its immense socio-economic impact is already being felt.

“A decade in and roughly 15% underway, the initiative is already bringing life back to Africa’s degraded landscapes at an unprecedented scale, providing food security, jobs, and a reason to stay for the millions who live along its path.”